Contact your PDGA State Coordinator for more details on how to qualify for the Performance Flight. Poole said this method should give more people across the country the chance to qualify for the flight.

I highly recommend anyone that would like to play this event to try out for it. I had a great time when I went out there last year. It is a different kind of disc golf tournament and the way it is setup can truly test your mental game as well as your physical game.

To be perfectly on honest, I'm on the fence about whether I care a lot or very little about this. I love the idea of people getting the experience of being able to play this tournament, however I hate the idea of using *performance scoring* to qualify. The reason being is that I don't think it's fair to players with more established ratings. Players who have played a long time and have a lot of rounds rated do not vary as much as those with less rated rounds. I'm leaning toward making the qualifier more of a series than one tournament, however I'd really like to hear from people who are interested.

To be perfectly on honest, I'm on the fence about whether I care a lot or very little about this. I love the idea of people getting the experience of being able to play this tournament, however I hate the idea of using *performance scoring* to qualify. The reason being is that I don't think it's fair to players with more established ratings. Players who have played a long time and have a lot of rounds rated do not vary as much as those with less rated rounds. I'm leaning toward making the qualifier more of a series than one tournament, however I'd really like to hear from people who are interested.

I think the most important part is that last sentence, since there was a whole 2 people or 3 or something that signed up last year. Make sure the people who would actually go get to participate and decide how it works.

USDGC. 1 class, 1 champion. I have DVDs of about 6 of them. Final group on final day. Great watching. Needless to say, I didn't buy last year's video.
Like puting a Minor League team in the World Series and telling the Phillies they have to score 200 runs to win. Or a Daytona 500 where only good drivers use restrictor plates.
Sounds like fake self esteem. Makes no sense to me.
For example, last year in round 2, Feldberg shot a 61, and John Key shot a 76. With the "performance Scoring" Feldberg was 12 strokes behind. To tie him, Feldberg would have needed to shoot a 49.??????
If you want to give duffers a chance to play a great course, do it separately from the best and use a different name. Otherwise you cheapen what is a Major crown.

tufluk wrote:USDGC. 1 class, 1 champion. I have DVDs of about 6 of them. Final group on final day. Great watching. Needless to say, I didn't buy last year's video. Like puting a Minor League team in the World Series and telling the Phillies they have to score 200 runs to win. Or a Daytona 500 where only good drivers use restrictor plates. Sounds like fake self esteem. Makes no sense to me.For example, last year in round 2, Feldberg shot a 61, and John Key shot a 76. With the "performance Scoring" Feldberg was 12 strokes behind. To tie him, Feldberg would have needed to shoot a 49.??????If you want to give duffers a chance to play a great course, do it separately from the best and use a different name. Otherwise you cheapen what is a Major crown.

All of that sounds like it was year one of a major redesign and that the formula could be mildly tweaked. Remember, John Key and Dave Feldberg were within reasonable range of each other even with that ridiculous last round. Not like Key really shot bad...

You have to have a handicap system for this type of event, and at least some amateurs like Mike Robinson were also in the hunt on the last day despite how screwy it was with someone who shot with their OFF hand in the ONE rated tournament that the PDGA allowed to enter their handicapped tournament and win it (Mr Key).

I hated this idea from the outset but after watching the execution it really made me want to be a part of it. I mean really, how many tournaments give Dave Feldberg and Mr Random Nobody a chance to play on the same card, let alone compete with each other?

Detra319 wrote:Remember, John Key and Dave Feldberg were within reasonable range of each other even with that ridiculous last round. Not like Key really shot bad... Tourney raw totals: Key 340 Feldberg 248 Key beats (???) Feldberg by 16.

You have to have a handicap system for this type of event, and at least some amateurs like Mike Robinson were also in the hunt on the last day despite how screwy it was with someone who shot with their OFF hand in the ONE rated tournament that the PDGA allowed to enter their handicapped tournament and win it (Mr Key). Just think about when one can use LEAGUE scores to get PDGA ratings!

Which is kind of my point. John Key is now a USDGC Champion. Just like Climo, Schultz and Locastro. I don't know, it seems like that title has been cheapened.

Detra319 wrote: I mean really, how many tournaments give Dave Feldberg and Mr Random Nobody a chance to play on the same card, let alone compete with each other?

How about the Pebble Beach Pro/AM? I don't mind watching Bill Murray play with Phil Mickelson, I just dont want to give Murray 120 strokes at the Master's and have him wearing the Green Jacket.

There's no question the qualifications to enter last year were too loose with regards to not requiring more rounds that your rating was based on to qualify or enter the USDGC. That's been fixed for 2012 with a rating based on at least 12 rounds. Even if you have league rounds included in your rating before playing a qualifier, you'll have to qualify by doing well at that qualifier by playing above your rating.

I agree with Gene. The thing to remember though is it is Innovas event and they can do what they want with it. Its pitiful the PDGA doesnt have an event that can match it, or an event that by now has more prestige to it than the USDGC. They never will with a "Everyone Wins" attitude.

No offense in any of this to John Key, he just beat the system. Now, pretty much forever, thats how he will be known. Had to be someone though, the way it was set up you knew somebody that probably shouldnt win it would.